Squid Game: The Challenge viewers have slammed the show’s finale as ‘boring’ and ‘lucklustre’ after the winner scooped a $4.6million prize.
The ending finally streamed on Wednesday night after a whopping 456 total players took part – in one of the biggest reality shows ever.
The spin-off is based on the record-breaking Korean drama, including the same challenges without the deathly consequences of the original, with games such as Red Light, Green Light, Honeycombs and Hopscotch.
New games were also added including ‘Warship’ – a version of the boardgame battleship, and ‘Circle of Trust’ – a variation of Heads Up Seven Up.
In the end just three players remained to battle it out for the huge prize: Player 016 Sam, Player 287 Mai, and Player 451 Phil.
Squid Game: The Challenge viewers have slammed the show’s finale as ‘boring’ and ‘lucklustre’ after it was won over a game of rock, paper, scissors
The winner scooped a $4.56million prize after unlocking the safe to a golden credit card
But fans were left disappointed after who won the show was left down to chance, with the final result decided over a game of rock, paper, scissors.
Sam came third after he was eliminated after he pressed a button during a game of chance at the final three’s dinner/
The winner was then decided through multiple rounds of playing rock, paper, scissors.
If they won a round they would win access to a key, which they could then use to open a safe and have a chance of winning the prize.
In the end, it was Mai who managed to choose the correct key, which opened a safe and revealed a golden credit card.
Viewers rushed to social media to express their disappointment after months of anticipation.
One said: ‘Honestly… HONESTLY, I’ll say it… the finale was lacklustre, it was givvvving ‘boring’ lmfao but glad Mai won, that’s justice for everyone acting dumb when she called out Ashley.
Another added: ‘ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS.. ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?! Amongst the awesome comps, they chose to end the finale with Rock, paper, scissors. They defo wanted Mai to win.’
The contestants played multiple rounds of rock, paper, scissors and would get the chance to unlock a safe with a key
456 contestants originally took part – and in Wednesday’s finale three battled it out for the prize
Viewers were fuming that the winner was left down to chance
It was Mai who eventually found the right key to open the safe with the golden credit card
A third said: ‘Can’t believe Netflix made us wait for rock, paper, scissors,’ while a fourth commented: ‘the squid game Finale was so boring. what the hell was that.’
Another social media user noted: ‘first half of squid game the challenge was much better than the second half. we really lost the more interesting complex people early on. oh and that finale was so anticlimactic.’
It comes after Netflix renewed the controversial show for a second season.
It is one of the biggest reality shows ever, with 456 contestants taking part from all over the world.
And it is now set to make a comeback for another season, with recruitment already open for those seeking to take part.
Brandon Riegg, Netflix VP of Nonfiction series, said: ‘There was no red light in our decision to greenlight season two of Squid Game: The Challenge, the most ambitious show we’ve premiered at Netflix.
Viewers rushed to social media to express their disappointment after months of anticipation
‘We’re so excited to continue the franchise of Squid Game with our team in Korea, and producers at Studio Lambert and The Garden for this epic competition series.’
However, contestants have slammed Netflix for how they were treated during filming at London’s Wharf Studios.
Attacks were mainly aimed at the Red Light, Green Light challenge, where players must creep forward without being caught.
But those taking part said in reality the challenge took up to 11 hours to film and condemned the ‘freezing’ conditions, while others claimed to have suffered ‘hypothermia’ and ‘nerve damage’.
Australian contestant Jordan Levoux, 29, shared his experience in a TikTok video.
He said: ‘This made the game go for eleven hours. That is an insane amount of time to be standing around doing not much. It was so cold, the middle of England during winter.
‘This resulted in people having seizures and dropping. It was a crazy experience.’
Australian contestant Jordan Levoux (pictured) opened up about the harsh conditions contestants faced on set
Meanwhile, Express Solicitors said two of its clients who were on the show ‘suffered injuries such as hypothermia and nerve damage… after being stuck in painful stress positions for hours in freezing temperatures’.
Express Solicitors boss Daniel Slade said: ‘Contestants thought they were taking part in something fun and those injured did not expect to suffer as they did.
‘Now they have been left with injuries after spending time being stuck in painful stress positions in cold temperatures.
‘We have a case where someone complains of hypothermia. One had his hands turn purple from the cold.’
The firm said the injuries occurred when contestants ‘had to stay motionless for hours in cold temperatures while filming’.
It added that it had sent letters of claim to Studio Lambert, meaning the production company is on notice that they may be taken to court.
Others have also spoken out against the new spin-off show, complaining about the conditions they were made to film in.
They stressed that they had not signed up for a Bear Grylls or Naked and Afraid type show and were shocked by filming conditions.
The reality series is based on the successful Korean drama
Again describing playing Red Light Green Light, one contestant told Variety: ‘This isn’t a game.
‘The fun is now gone. You can’t tell people they have to stand in below freezing temperatures in just a tracksuit and two pairs of socks.’
A second alleged conditions were ‘absolutely inhumane’ elaborating that four individuals had passed out during the game’s second round.
The claimant said they could see one girl faint, hearing her head hit the floor, adding: ‘But then someone came on the [microphone] and said to hold our positions because the game is not paused. After that, people were dropping like flies.’
In a statement, Netflix and the show’s producers Studio Lambert and The Garden said that ‘while it was very cold on set — and participants were prepared for that — any claims of serious injury are untrue.’
They continued: ‘We care deeply about the health and safety of our cast and crew, and invested in all the appropriate safety procedures.’
The players wear zip-up green tracksuits just like the original show and each person’s elimination adds $10,000 to the prize pot.
The substantial prize will mean TV watchers should see the same of levels of competitiveness as though the players’ lives were really on the line.
In the original show, the contestants are all in debt and play children’s games to win a huge cash prize.
Squid Game: The Challenge is now available to stream on Netflix.
The reality competition show features a whopping 456 competitors competing for a $4.56million prize
